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A collection of essays by a social economist seeking to balance economics as a science of means with the values deemed necessary to man′s finding the good life and society enduring as a civilized instrumentality. Looks for authority to great men of the past and to today′s moral philosopher: man is an ethical animal. The 13 essays are: 1. Evolutionary Economics: The End of It All? which challenges the view that Darwinism destroyed belief in a universe of purpose and design; 2. Schmoller′s Political Economy: Its Psychic, Moral and Legal Foundations, which centres on the belief that time‐honoured ethical values prevail in an economy formed by ties of common sentiment, ideas, customs and laws; 3. Adam Smith by Gustav von Schmoller – Schmoller rejects Smith′s natural law and sees him as simply spreading the message of Calvinism; 4. Pierre‐Joseph Proudhon, Socialist – Karl Marx, Communist: A Comparison; 5. Marxism and the Instauration of Man, which raises the question for Marx: is the flowering of the new man in Communist society the ultimate end to the dialectical movement of history?; 6. Ethical Progress and Economic Growth in Western Civilization; 7. Ethical Principles in American Society: An Appraisal; 8. The Ugent Need for a Consensus on Moral Values, which focuses on the real dangers inherent in there being no consensus on moral values; 9. Human Resources and the Good Society – man is not to be treated as an economic resource; man′s moral and material wellbeing is the goal; 10. The Social Economist on the Modern Dilemma: Ethical Dwarfs and Nuclear Giants, which argues that it is imperative to distinguish good from evil and to act accordingly: existentialism, situation ethics and evolutionary ethics savour of nihilism; 11. Ethical Principles: The Economist′s Quandary, which is the difficulty of balancing the claims of disinterested science and of the urge to better the human condition; 12. The Role of Government in the Advancement of Cultural Values, which discusses censorship and the funding of art against the background of the US Helms Amendment; 13. Man at the Crossroads draws earlier themes together; the author makes the case for rejecting determinism and the “operant conditioning” of the Skinner school in favour of the moral progress of autonomous man through adherence to traditional ethical values.

“It should also be noted that the objective of convergence and equal distribution, including across under-performing areas, can hinder efforts to generate growth. Contrariwise, the objective of competitiveness can exacerbate regional and social inequalities, by targeting efforts on zones of excellence where projects achieve greater returns (dynamic major cities, higher levels of general education, the most advanced projects, infrastructures with the heaviest traffic, and so on). If cohesion policy and the Lisbon Strategy come into conflict, it must be borne in mind that the former, for the moment, is founded on a rather more solid legal foundation than the latter” European Commission (2005, p. 9)Adaptation of Cohesion Policy to the Enlarged Europe and the Lisbon and Gothenburg Objectives.

Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

Nobody concerned with political economy can neglect the history of economic doctrines. Structural changes in the economy and society influence economic thinking and, conversely, innovative thought structures and attitudes have almost always forced economic institutions and modes of behaviour to adjust. We learn from the history of economic doctrines how a particular theory emerged and whether, and in which environment, it could take root. We can see how a school evolves out of a common methodological perception and similar techniques of analysis, and how it has to establish itself. The interaction between unresolved problems on the one hand, and the search for better solutions or explanations on the other, leads to a change in paradigma and to the formation of new lines of reasoning. As long as the real world is subject to progress and change scientific search for explanation must out of necessity continue.

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to study the process of evolution of modern business systems, to distinguish its main stages, and to determine the peculiarities of the modern stage of this process. For compiling a fuller dynamic model of evolution of modern business systems, this research is performed by the example of modern Russia – which is one of the most vivid representatives of countries with transitional (forming) economy and which is thus peculiar for very intensive transformation processes in business as compared to the countries that implement the concept of market economy.

Methodology: The methodology of the research is based on the method of logical analysis (analysis of causal connections) and the method of comparative historical analysis, with the help of which regularities of development of modern business systems are distinguished and stages of their evolution are determined. The method of formalization is used for graphic presentation of genesis of modern business systems.

Conclusions: As a result, four stages of evolution of modern business systems are distinguished: paternalism (1991–1997), commercialization (1998–2007), balancing (2008–2017), and technologization (since 2018). Each of the distinguished stages has its peculiarities, and the following regularities and tendencies of development of modern business systems are observed in the process of their evolution: increase of competition in business environment, increase of regulation of business from the state and society, and growth of size of business systems, which leads to complication of their structure, with increase of flexibility of business culture. Sufficiency of adaptation means with modern business systems is substantiated.

Originality/value: The determined outlines of the current stage of evolution of modern business systems allow compiling two following forecast scenarios of their further development, oriented at the period until 2025: scenario of well-balanced development of modern business systems and scenario of increase of disproportions in development of modern business systems. Implementation of these scenarios is possible in any socioeconomic system. Depending on strategic goals and priorities, each system may select the most optimal scenario and conduct the corresponding management of development of modern business systems.

This paper aims to determine the status of the socialist market economy through a logical analysis of the evolution of economic systems in human society.

This paper presents an analysis of uncertainty and the functions performed by different economic systems in managing and resolving it, thereby explaining the evolutionary rationale behind economic system evolution.

Firstly, the socialist market economy empowers the market to play a decisive role in resource allocation, which serves as the foundation for activating individuals' motivation to engage in economic activities. Secondly, the socialist market economy adheres to the basic socialist economic system, which is the basis for the socialist market economy to stabilize the economy and society or to address the risk of economic uncertainty that may trigger macro-level inconsistencies in economic operations. Thirdly, the advantages of a socialist market economy in adapting to economic uncertainties do not arise spontaneously and must be exerted through continuous improvement of the socialist market economy.

The innovation of this paper lies in introducing uncertainty to clarify the logic behind the evolution of economic systems in human society and explaining the typical significance of the socialist market economy and its advantages in accommodating and resolving uncertainty.

New non-equilibrium systems theory is a very important theoretical and methodological base of survey and understanding of contemporary economic systems and processes. Equilibrium is considered one of the basic conditions of existence and evolution of natural and social systems, according to scientific literature. Generally speaking, it can be presented as true. But the problem is that classical imagination perceives equilibrium as something real and stable – something more stable than basic condition of evolution of systems. Non-equilibrium state was usually understood as something negative, something destructive and something which has to be eliminated. Non-equilibrium state was understood as an anomaly, as an expression of weakening of system security and as a road to extinction. Thermodynamics comes with an idea that equilibrium is a “short” state of the system, equilibrium is very relative and all systems try to meet it, but they will never reach it. Equilibrium is usually connected with classical science and non-equilibrium state is connected with thermodynamics paradigm, with a new methodology of science. Non-equilibrium state is often seen as a basic condition – as an internal source of system evolution and its activities. Non-equilibrium state is a base of new arrangement of systems. Misunderstanding of contemporary non-equilibrium state theory and new expressions or aspects of dynamic processes can bring about negative impacts on the survey and establishment of new global economic system, e.g. new national and local economic systems. Therefore, the non-equilibrium state theory is a methodological base of new perception and survey of contemporary economic systems.

A study of non-equilibrium thermodynamics.

Irreversibility and non-equilibrium, occurring in each process and evolutionary phase of economic systems, are connected with accidents and openness. Openness of systems enables (and causes) diversification toward wider system or environment and penetration of external elements and processes to internal structure of the system. A system like this is more sensitive to external and internal changes. Considering this, it is very important to be aware of the fact that entropy has different behavior in “closed” systems – different from behavior in open systems. Open economic systems communicate with external environment, interact with external systems and they exchange the energy. They consume energy of external environment and penetrate it. Elements, nodes and joints in open systems can communicate, connect and integrate with elements, nodes and joints from external systems. The growth of entropy is “smoother” and equilibrium of the system, its sub-systems and elements proceeds despite the non-equilibrium state of elements of the own system. They have to communicate and exchange the energy with external environment. This is because of the non-equilibrium state.

This is an original thermodynamic approach to the importance of non-equilibrium in the development of economic systems.

Demonstrates the relevance of a stages methodology as a basis for understanding and analysing the evolutionary metamorphosis leading to the current Russian malaise. Addresses the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology, such as the unilinear fallacy, and analyses economic stagnation and decline in the context of the dynamics of culture evolution in the stage of modern economic growth. Given the Kuznetsian emphasis on a science‐fed technology, how then to explain the lack of Russian permeability to that technological flow? Many variables, such as excessive military spending, nationalism, rigid centralization, ideology, and so on, enter into such an analytical purview. It appears that neither tsarist nor Soviet Russia was able to create a culture adequately permeable to the dynamics of an ongoing science‐fed technological flow. The basic problem for Russia to overcome today is one of a cultural lag. A greater democratization of social and economic organization, concomitant with the needs of a modern industrial society, appears in order.

In this paper we appraise the ways in which use of closed-system proprietary product architectures versus open-system modular product architectures is likely to influence the dynamics and trajectory of new product market formation. We compare the evolutions of new markets in China for gas-powered two-wheeled vehicles (G2WVs) based (initially) on closed-system proprietary architectures and for electric-powered two-wheeled vehicles (E2WVs) based on open-system modular architectures. We draw on this comparison to suggest ways in which the use of the two different kinds of architectures as the basis for new kinds of products may result in very different patterns and speeds of new market formation. We then suggest some key implications of the different dynamics of market formation associated with open-system modular architectures for both the competence-based strategic management (CBSM) of firms and for technology and economic development policies of governments.

Specifically, we suggest how the use of open-system modular product architectures as the basis for new products is likely to result in dynamics of new market formation that call for new approaches to the strategic management of innovation and product creation. We also suggest technology and economic development policies favoring use of open-system modular architectures may stimulate new market formation and related economic development by providing platforms for accelerating technology development and dissemination, facilitating the formation of an industrial base of assemblers and component suppliers, assisting new firms in building customer relationships, enabling more geographically diffused economic development within countries, and facilitating development of export markets. We also suggest directions for further research into the potential for open-system modular product architectures to enable bottom-of-the-pyramid innovation processes, frugal engineering in developing economies, and development of low-cost product variations more generally.

The object of this research is the reconstruction of the existing legal response by European Union states to the phenomenon of immigration. It seeks to analyse the process of conferral of protection.

One main dimension is selected and discussed: the case law of the national courts. The study focuses on the legal status of immigrants resulting from the intervention of these national courts.

The research shows that although the courts have conferred an increasing protection on immigrants, this has not challenged the fundamental principle of the sovereignty of the states to decide, according to their discretionary prerogatives, which immigrants are allowed to enter and stay in their territories. Notwithstanding the differences in the general constitutional and legal structures, the research also shows that the courts of the three countries considered – France, Germany and Spain – have progressively moved towards converging solutions in protecting immigrants.

The research contributes to a better understanding of the different legal orders analysed.